South American Geography and Agriculture

South American Geography

• Andes Mountains: A major mountain range in South America, extending from Venezuela to Chile and Argentina.
• Llanos: A vast tropical grassland plain in northern South America, primarily in Venezuela and Colombia.
• Pampas: A large, fertile lowland region in South America (Argentina, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil), known for rich, flat grasslands suitable for farming and livestock.
• Cerrado: A vast tropical savanna ecoregion in Brazil, with a mix of forests, grasslands, and shrubs. It has a distinct wet and dry season.
• Amazon River: The second-longest river in the world (after the Nile), flowing through the Amazon Rainforest in South America, mainly Brazil, but also Peru and Colombia.
• Rain Forest: A dense, warm, and wet forest in tropical regions near the equator. High annual rainfall (typically over 100 inches) supports diverse plant and animal life.

Agricultural Techniques

• Slash and Burn: An agricultural technique in tropical regions, involving cutting down and burning vegetation to clear land, fertilizing the soil with the ash.
• Terraced Farming: A farming method used on steep or hilly land, where the terrain is cut into step-like levels to create flat areas for planting.

Historical Events

• Spanish Conquest: The period in the early 16th century when Spanish explorers and conquistadors, led by figures like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, conquered and overthrew major indigenous civilizations in the Americas (including the Aztec and Inca Empires).